Automated Geo-Fence Boundary Configuration and Activation

ABSTRACT

A geo-fence is defined and established automatically based on a current location of an asset along with some range or distance, avoiding the need for a user to manually specify a location by drawing a perimeter, specifying a point location, or by any other means. Once established, the geo-fence can be activated so as to notify the owner of the asset and/or some other entity of movement of the asset beyond the boundary specified by the geo-fence. In one embodiment, the geo-fence can be automatically activated upon certain conditions, or can be manually activated, or any combination thereof.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This invention is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/539,292for “STARTER-INTERRUPT DEVICE INCORPORATING GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEMFUNCTIONALITY,” filed Oct. 6, 2006, the disclosure of which isincorporated herein by reference. This application is a continuation ofU.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/364,662 filed Feb. 2, 2012, whichwas a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/215,732 filedAug. 23, 2011 (now U.S. Pat. No. 8,164,431), which was a continuation ofU.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/333,904 filed Dec. 12, 2008 (nowU.S. Pat. No. 8,018,329), all of which are incorporated herein byreference as if reproduced in full below.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to location tracking, and morespecifically to techniques for specifying and activating a locationperimeter (referred to as a geo-fence), and detecting a boundaryviolation with respect to the specified perimeter.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

Location tracking is a useful mechanism for limiting or preventing theftof assets such as vehicles, and for recovering stolen assets. Variouslocation tracking mechanisms are well known in the art. For example,Global Positioning System (GPS) functionality is a well-known andubiquitous technique for tracking a vehicle's location. In addition,other mechanisms are known, such as triangulation by cellular telephonesignal or other means. Radio frequency identification (RFID) systems arealso well known, but are generally suitable only for short-rangelocation tracking.

It is often useful to provide notification when an asset is moved beyonda defined geographic region, referred to herein as a “geo-fence”. Ageo-fence can be defined by reference to a perimeter, or boundary,surrounding a geographic area. The geographic area can be substantiallycircular or can be a polygon or any other shape. A monitoring systemincludes a sensor mounted within the asset to be tracked, acommunication link, and an alert notification mechanism. Asset ownersand/or other parties can thus be notified when the geo-fence boundary isviolated by the asset leaving the boundary. Notification of geo-fenceviolations in this manner can serve to limit or prevent theft, bypromptly alerting an owner and/or law enforcement authorities that theasset has been moved without authorization. Ongoing location trackingcan help authorities in their efforts to find a vehicle that has beenstolen.

A limitation inherent in many currently available GPS monitoring systemsis that they require a user to specify the geo-fence boundary settings,for example by drawing a perimeter on a map. This can be done, forexample, on a website designed to facilitate geo-fence configuration.Other systems allow a user to specify a geo-fence by specifying a pointlocation, for example by entering an address or coordinates, andindicating a maximum distance from the specified point. Thus, the usermust obtain, by some means, a description or indication as to where thegeo-fence should be placed.

Existing techniques for configuring and implementing geo-fences includethose describe in, for example: Duvall, U.S. Pat. No. 6,665,613, for“Method of and Apparatus for Dynamically Geofencing Movable Vehicle andOther Equipment and the Like”, issued Dec. 16, 2003; and Harvey, U.S.Pat. No. 7,327,250 for “System for Providing a Virtual VehicleBoundary”, issued Feb. 5, 2008.

One limitation of such techniques is that they fail to provide anymechanism for detecting movement of the asset from an arbitrary currentlocation, unless the current location is manually specified by the user.In addition, whether the geo-fence is specified based on a pointlocation or by drawing a perimeter on a map, existing techniques oftenfail to provide sufficient precision to detect small movements of theasset; in other words, no boundary violation is detected until the assethas moved outside the geo-fence, which may be a undesirably large areabecause of the inability to manually specify a small area immediatelysurrounding the asset.

For example, a user may specify a geo-fence surrounding a particularaddress at which a vehicle will be parked. It may not be feasible orpossible to specify the geo-fence specifically or with a fine level ofdetail, since a) the correlation between address and GPS position may beimperfect, and b) the address may correspond to a large parking lot(such as at an airport), and the user may have no way of knowing where,specifically and within the parking lot, the vehicle is to be parked.Thus, the geo-fence configured by the user may be relatively large. As aconsequence, small movements of the vehicle (such as those that remainwithin the coarse definition of the geo-fence) may go undetected. Suchlimitations can reduce reliability of the system and impair promptresponse to events such as vehicle theft. In addition, currenttechniques are subject to error, since the user may specify thegeo-fence incorrectly. Such error can result in false positives as wellas the possibility that theft may go undetected.

Furthermore, existing techniques do not provide any automated means foractivating location notification automatically or passively undercertain conditions, using a geo-fence derived from a current location ofthe asset.

Existing techniques do not provide any mechanism for automaticallydetermining the location of a remote asset and establishing a geo-fenceor other boundary surrounding the asset based on its current location.Accordingly, existing location tracking techniques are of limited use indetecting movement of assets and of reliably notifying owners and otherparties of asset movement.

What is needed is a system and method of location tracking and boundaryviolation notification that avoids the limitations of the prior art.What is further needed is a system and method that automatically definesa geo-fence based on a current location of an asset. What is furtherneeded is a system and method that is adapted to automatically and/orpassively activate boundary violation notification under certainconditions, so as to more reliably provide notification with a minimumof user effort. What is further needed is a system and method by whichan owner of an asset can specify conditions in which the owner or someother entity is to be notified if the asset moves outside a geo-fence.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In various embodiments, the present invention enables automaticgeo-fence establishment and activation. According to the presentinvention, a geo-fence is defined and established based on a currentlocation of an asset, for example using GPS data comprising latitude andlongitude along with some predetermined area based on range or distance.In this manner, the user need not manually specify a location by drawinga perimeter, specifying a point location, or by any other means.

Once established, the geo-fence can be activated so as to notify theowner of the asset and/or some other entity of movement of the assetbeyond the boundary specified by the geo-fence. In one embodiment, thegeo-fence can be automatically activated upon certain conditions, or canbe manually activated, or any combination thereof.

For example, in one embodiment, the system and method of the presentinvention can be used to automatically activate a geo-fence when adriver parks a car and takes a portable Bluetooth-enabled device, suchas a cellular telephone or RFID key fob, with him or her. An onboarddevice can be configured to detect the presence or absence of theportable device; when the vehicle is parked and the portable device istaken away from the vehicle, a geo-fence can be automatically definedand activated. The geo-fence can be defined based on a perimetersurrounding the current position of the vehicle. The onboard devicecommunicates with a central server, for example over a cellulartelephone network, to locate the vehicle using GPS to establish thegeo-fence.

An automated notification protocol can be established in connection withthe geo-fence, so that the driver (and/or some other entity, such as thepolice department) is automatically alerted if the vehicle is movedoutside the geo-fence. For example, in the event the vehicle is movedoutside the geo-fence, a boundary violation message can be sent via acellular telephone network, by SMS text message, by email, instantmessage, or by any combination of the above. In some embodiments, morecomplex notification rule sets can be specified, to define theconditions in which a boundary violation message will be sent.

When the driver returns to the vehicle, the onboard device detects thepresence of the portable device and deactivates the geo-fence.

In another embodiment, a geo-fence can be activated manually. Forexample, the geo-fence can be activated when the vehicle ignition isturned off, or when the vehicle is locked, or when the user inputs acommand and/or enters a password on a keypad associated with the onboarddevice, or when the user presses a button on the portable device. In oneembodiment, portable device can use Radio Frequency (RF) or infrared(IR) techniques to communicate with the onboard device. The onboarddevice communicates with a central server, for example over a cellulartelephone network, to establish the geo-fence around the vehicle basedon its current position.

Similarly, the geo-fence can be deactivated manually, for example by theuser turning the ignition on, or by pressing a button on the portabledevice, or by entering a password on a keypad on the vehicle, or by someother means.

In yet another embodiment, the geo-fence can be activated and/ordeactivated without the use of an onboard device at the vehicle. Thedriver (or other individual) can activate a geo-fence by directcommunication with a central server, either by logging on to a web page,or by telephone call, SMS text message, instant message, or by someother means. Upon receiving such an activation message or communication,the central server establishes and activates a geo-fence around thevehicle based on its current position. Upon receiving a deactivationmessage or communication, the central server deactivates the geo-fence.In this manner, a driver or other individual can control, activate,deactivate, and configure the geo-fence even when he or she is not atthe same physical location as the vehicle.

By establishing a geo-fence based on current asset position, the presentinvention provides much greater reliability as compared with prior artsystems. The possibility of user error in specifying the geo-fence isreduced, since the geo-fence boundary is automatically determined ratherthan manually entered. Geo-fences can be established with much finergranularity, since there is no need to encompass an entire parking lotor other location defined in terms of an address; thus small movementsof the asset can be detected and response time can be improved. Inaddition, the present invention provides mechanisms for passivelyinitiating a geo-fence, for example when a vehicle has been parked orunder other conditions, with a minimum of burden on the user/driver.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts an overall architecture for an embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram depicting an overall method of activating ageo-fence according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram depicting a method of establishing a geo-fencebased on a current vehicle position, according to an embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram depicting a method of responding to a geo-fenceviolation, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 5A through 5E depict an example of a sequence of activating ageo-fence and responding to a geo-fence violation, according to anembodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

In one embodiment, the present invention includes or interfaces withlocation tracking functionality as described in related to U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 11/539,292 for “STARTER-INTERRUPT DEVICEINCORPORATING GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM FUNCTIONALITY”, attorney docketnumber GH004, filed Oct. 6, 2006, the disclosure of which isincorporated herein by reference. One skilled in the art will recognizethat the present invention can be implemented with or without suchlocation tracking functionality.

For illustrative purposes, the description provided herein sets forththe invention in the context of vehicles. However, one skilled in theart will recognize that the invention can be used in connection with anyproduct.

For purposes of the following description, “vehicle owner”, “owner”, and“user” are synonymous and can refer to any individual who is interactingwith the components of the present invention.

Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a block diagram depicting anoverall architecture for an embodiment of the invention.

According to one embodiment onboard device 111 is installed in vehicle109. Onboard device 111 can be pre-installed or can be an add-oncomponent. In one embodiment, onboard device 111 is connected to vehiclestarter circuitry 112 so as to provide the ability to selectivelydisable vehicle 109 in the event of a geo-fence violation. Thisconnection is optional, and is not an essential characteristic of theinvention.

Onboard device 111 includes processor 115 which performs variousfunctions in connection with the operation of the invention. Bluetooth,RFID or RF interface 113 detects signals from portable device 116 (suchas a key fob, cellular telephone, or some other device) held by vehicleowner 110. Interface 113 can take any known form for detecting thepresence or absence of portable device 116. In one embodiment, asdescribed in more detail below, a geo-fence can be activated in responseto the absence of portable device 116, so that the invention activatesthe geo-fence when owner 110 parks vehicle 109 and walks away.

Onboard device 111 also includes Global Positioning System (GPS) module114, which uses well-known techniques for determining the position ofvehicle 109 by communication with satellites. In one embodiment, GPSmodule 114 is external to onboard device 111, so that onboard device 111operates in connection with separate GPS hardware that may be installedin vehicle 109.

Wireless network interface 120 communicates via wireless network 105 orby some other means with operations center 101. Wireless network 105 maybe any conventional cellular network, pager network, or other mechanismfor transmitting information between vehicle 109 and operations center101. In one embodiment, operations center 101 includes wireless networkinterface 106 facilitating communication via network 105.

Operations center 101 contains various components for implementing thepresent invention. In one embodiment, operations center 101 is situatedat some central location. Appropriate communications infrastructure,such as Internet, wireless, and/or telecommunications connectivity isprovided, so as to allow operations center 101 to communicate with otherelements of the overall system.

Processor 102 at operations center 101 performs many of the functions ofthe present invention, including controlling the operation of variouscomponents of operations center 101. Mapping module 116 performs mappingfunctions associated with the present invention, including for exampledetermining vehicle 109 movement outside an activated geo-fence, asdescribed in more detail below.

Processor 102 also includes administrator user interface 103 allowingsystem administrator 104 to control and configure the operation of thesystem. Processor 102 also includes owner user interface 104 allowingowner 110 to interact with the system, for example to specify conditionsin which a geo-fence should be activated, and to specify the type ofalerts to be issued in the event of geo-fence boundary violations. Asdescribed in more detail below, vehicle owner 110 can also directlyactivate and/or configure 117 the system via user interface 104.

Operations center 101 issues geo-fence violation alerts 107 undercertain conditions, such as when a geo-fence is active and vehicle 109position is outside the geo-fence. Geo-fence violation alerts 107 can betransmitted using any known communications medium, including email, SMS,instant message, automated telephone call, or the like.

Referring also to FIG. 2, there is shown a flow diagram depicting anoverall method of activating a geo-fence according to an embodiment ofthe present invention. Referring also to FIGS. 5A through 5E, there isshown an example of a sequence of activating a geo-fence and respondingto a geo-fence violation, according to an embodiment of the presentinvention. As mentioned above, the invention is described in connectionwith a technique for activating a geo-fence for a vehicle; however, oneskilled in the art will recognize that the invention can be used inconnection with any asset, and is not limited to operation with avehicle.

As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, owner 110 parks 201 vehicle 109. Owner 110locks 202 vehicle 109. The locking step 202 is optional, and can beomitted. Geo-fence 501 is activated 203. In one embodiment, activation203 of geo-fence 501 takes place automatically in response to vehicle109 being locked 202. In another embodiment, activation 203 takes placeautomatically in response to some other trigger event, such as detectionthat a portable device 116 carried by owner 110 has been moved away fromvehicle 109. Proximity of portable device 116 to vehicle 109 can bedetected by known techniques that are used for remote keyless entrysystems, such as by detecting the presence or absence of a radiofrequency signal with a designated, distinct digital identity codeassociated with a particular portable device 116. In one embodiment,interface 113 located in vehicle 109 (either as part of onboard device111 or as a separate component) detects the presence or absence ofportable device 116.

In another embodiment, activation 203 takes place automatically inresponse to any other trigger event, including but not limited to: theengine being turned off; the key being removed from the ignition;detection that the vehicle has not moved in some period of time;detection that the vehicle is in a particular location; or the like.

In another embodiment, activation 203 takes place in response to anexplicit activation command or operation. For example, owner 110 canpress a button on portable device 116 initiating activation 203 ofgeo-fence 501. Alternatively, owner 110 can press a button on onboarddevice 111, enter a code on a keypad in vehicle 109, or send a textmessage, email message, instant message, or other communication directlyto operations center 101. Alternatively, owner 110 can visit a website,log in using an authentication mechanism, and indicate that geo-fence501 should be activated; the website can communicate this command tooperations center 101.

In another embodiment, activation 203 takes place at some preset time ofday, such as for example between 11 pm and 6 am, unless countermanded byowner 110.

One skilled in the art will recognize that many other trigger events,operations, and mechanisms for initiating activation 203 of geo-fence501 can be used.

Referring also to FIG. 3, there is shown a flow diagram depicting amethod of establishing a geo-fence 501 based on a current vehicle 109position, according to an embodiment of the present invention. Triggerevent occurs 301, whether automatic or manual. The system determines 302the current position of vehicle 109, for example by well-known GPStechniques using GPS module 114. Then, based on the current position andother settings and parameters, the system establishes 303 geo-fence 501.

In one embodiment, the present invention avoids the need for owner 110or any other individual to manually specify the parameters, bounds,size, or shape of geo-fence 501 or the region defined by geo-fence 501.Rather, geo-fence 501 is established 303 based on the current positionof vehicle 109 and, optionally, other factors. For example, in oneembodiment, geo-fence 501 is established as a region centered around thecurrent position of vehicle 109 and having a radius according to somepredetermined configuration parameter. In one embodiment, geo-fence 501can have different shape, size, or characteristics depending on variousfactors, such as but not limited to: owner-defined preferences;system-wide settings; administrator-defined preferences; currentlocation of vehicle 109; geographic considerations; and the like.

FIG. 5D depicts vehicle 109 with geo-fence 501 established and active.In one embodiment, geo-fence 501 is established by processor 115;specifically, vehicle 109 position is determined by signals from GPSmodule 114, and processor 115 establishes a radius according to somepredetermined configuration parameter. In another embodiment, geo-fence501 is established by operations center 101; specifically, vehicle 109position is determined by signals from GPS module 114 sent to theoperations center 101 via wireless network 105, and processor 102establishes a radius according to some predetermined configurationparameter. In one embodiment, once geo-fence 501 has been established,the system of the present invention periodically or continuouslymonitors 304 vehicle 109 position with respect to geo-fence 501. In oneembodiment, position monitoring is performed by periodic signals fromGPS module 114 to operations center 101 via wireless network 105, sothat processor 102 can compare current vehicle 109 position withgeo-fence 501 to detect geo-fence violations. In another embodiment, thesystem of the present invention transmits geo-fence 501 information tovehicle 109 so that a geo-fence violation can be detected locally byonboard device 111 at vehicle 109. Thus, the specific parameters ofgeo-fence 501 can be stored at operations center 101, or at vehicle 109,or at both locations.

In some embodiments, the system can be configured to receive periodictransmissions from onboard device 111 even when no geo-fence violationhas taken place, so that if onboard device 111 is disabled orinoperative, the lack of transmissions can cause an alert to be issuedto indicate a possible geo-fence violation. Thus, a thief cannot disablethe system by tampering with or destroying onboard device 111.

Referring now to FIG. 4, there is shown a flow diagram depicting amethod of responding to a geo-fence violation, according to anembodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5E depicts a geo-fenceviolation, where vehicle 109 is leaving the area defined by geo-fence501, for example if it is being stolen. The geo-fence violation isdetected 401 in one of several ways. In one embodiment, onboard device111 has access to the parameters of geo-fence 501 and detects thecurrent position of vehicle 109 via GPS module 114; if the currentposition is outside geo-fence 501, onboard device 111 sends a signal tooperations center 101 via wireless network 105 or by some other means.In another embodiment, the parameters of geo-fence 501 are stored atoperations center 101, and onboard device 111 periodically sends asignal with vehicle 109 position to operations center 101 (or sends asignal when its current location has changed by more than somepredetermined amount); the comparison between vehicle 109 position andgeo-fence 501 takes place at operations center 101 rather than atvehicle 109.

When a geo-fence violation is detected 401, operations center 101 issuesone or more alerts according to predefined settings and preferences. Forexample, operations center 101 can transmit a geo-fence violation alert107 to owner 110 and/or to an external agent 108 such as a local policedepartment. Transmission of alert 107 can take place across any knowncommunication channel or channels, including for example: a telephonecall, an email message, an SMS message, an instant message, or the like.Alert 107 to external agent 108 can be sent over police radio or othermechanisms, if desired. Additional information, such as current vehiclelocation, speed, description, or the like, can also be transmitted aspart of alert 107 so as to assist in recovery of vehicle 109.

In this manner, the system of the present invention provides a mechanismby which vehicle theft can be quickly detected, and appropriate actioncan be taken promptly.

In one embodiment, onboard device 111 is optionally connected to vehiclestarter circuitry 112 so that vehicle 109 can be disabled when ageo-fence violation is detected. Accordingly, based on predefinedparameters and/or in response to a command from administrator 104 orowner 110, onboard device 111 can disable vehicle 109. A signal todisable vehicle 109 can be sent from operations center 101 to vehicle,for example via wireless network 105. Alternatively, onboard device 111can disable vehicle 109 based on local determination of a geo-fenceviolation, such as in a configuration where geo-fence parameters arestored locally at onboard device 111 in vehicle 109.

The particular conditions in which the vehicle is disabled can beconfigured in advance by owner 110, or by administrator 104, or by someother party. Alternatively, in one embodiment, when a geo-fenceviolation alert 107 is received by owner 110 or by external agent 108,the owner 110 or external agent 108 can be given an opportunity toindicate whether vehicle 109 should be immediately disabled. If feasibleand if owner 110 or external agent 108 requests disablement, a signalcan be sent to onboard device 111 to disable vehicle 109.

Use Cases

Several embodiments can be implemented using the above-describedarchitecture and methods, and variations thereof. The following arethree examples of specific use cases including descriptions of specifictechnologies, protocols and methodologies.

Passive Device-Based Geo-Fence

A communication link such as Bluetooth or RFID is established between aportable device 116 (such as a key fob, cellular telephone, or otherdevice) carried by owner 110 and onboard device 111. When onboard device111 no longer detects the presence of portable device 116, onboarddevice 111 establishes a geo-fence. For example, processor 115 cancalculate geo-fence coordinates based on a predefined boundary rulestored in processor 115. Alternatively, onboard device 111 can send amessage via wireless network 105 to operations center 101 to initiateactivation of a geo-fence to lock down vehicle 109 movement. Uponreceiving the message, operations center 101 performs a GPS locate forvehicle 109 and calculates geo-fence coordinates based on a predefinedboundary rule. Operations center 101 sends a message over wirelessnetwork 105 to onboard device 111 including the established geo-fencecoordinates. Onboard device 111 is then able to detect geo-fenceviolations.

If vehicle 109 violates an active geo-fence by leaving the definedregion, a boundary violation message is sent over wireless network 105to operations center 101. Upon receiving the boundary violation message,operations center 101 executes a “Boundary Violation Routine” whichsends out boundary violation messages based on a notification rule setfor the particular vehicle 109. This may result in notifications toowner 110 and/or external agent 108, as well as possibly sounding alocal alarm, and/or disabling vehicle 109.

When onboard device 111 re-establishes connection with portable device116, onboard device 111 deactivates the programmed geo-fence, allowingvehicle 109 to be moved without triggering a boundary violation.

Active Device-Based Geo-Fence

Owner 110 presses an “activate” button or enters a code on a portabledevice 116 (such as a key fob or other device such as a cellulartelephone). This causes a signal to be sent, for example via Bluetoothor RFID, to onboard device 111, indicating that a geo-fence should beestablished. For example, processor 115 can calculate geo-fencecoordinates based on a predefined boundary rule stored in processor 115.Alternatively, onboard device 111 can send a message via wirelessnetwork 105 to operations center 101 to initiate activation of ageo-fence to lock down vehicle 109 movement. Upon receiving the message,operations center 101 performs a GPS locate for vehicle 109 andcalculates geo-fence coordinates based on a predefined boundary rule.Operations center 101 sends a message over wireless network 105 toonboard device 111 including the established geo-fence coordinates.Onboard device 111 is then able to detect geo-fence violations.

If vehicle 109 violates an active geo-fence by leaving the definedregion, a boundary violation message is sent over wireless network 105to operations center 101. Upon receiving the boundary violation message,operations center 101 executes a “Boundary Violation Routine” whichsends out boundary violation messages based on a notification rule setfor the particular vehicle 109. This may result in notifications toowner 110 and/or external agent 108, as well as possibly sounding alocal alarm, and/or disabling vehicle 109.

Owner 110 presses a “deactivate” button or enters a code on a portabledevice 116. Onboard device 111 deactivates the programmed geo-fence,allowing vehicle 109 to be moved without triggering a boundary violation

In one embodiment, the activate signal may be sent automatically whenowner 110 locks vehicle 109 via portable device 116 (such as a key fob),and the deactivate signal may be sent automatically when owner 110unlocks vehicle 109 via portable device 116.

Active Cellular-Based Geo-Fence

Owner 110 sends an SMS, text, instant message, or email message from anappropriately enabled device (such as a cellular telephone or PDA)directly to operations center 101 indicating that a geo-fence should beestablished. This message can be sent when owner 110 is at the vehicleor from any other location.

Upon receiving the message, operations center 101 performs a GPS locatefor vehicle 109 and calculates geo-fence coordinates based on apredefined boundary rule. Operations center 101 sends a message overwireless network 105 to onboard device 111 including the establishedgeo-fence coordinates. Onboard device 111 is then able to detectgeo-fence violations.

If vehicle 109 violates an active geo-fence by leaving the definedregion, a boundary violation message is sent over wireless network 105to operations center 101. Upon receiving the boundary violation message,operations center 101 executes a “Boundary Violation Routine” whichsends out boundary violation messages based on a notification rule setfor the particular vehicle 109. This may result in notifications toowner 110 and/or external agent 108, as well as possibly sounding alocal alarm, and/or disabling vehicle 109.

Owner 110 sends an SMS, text, instant message, or email message from anappropriately enabled device (such as a cellular telephone or PDA)directly to operations center 101 to deactivate the geo-fence. Again,this message can be sent when owner 110 is at the vehicle or from anyother location. Operations center 101 sends a message over wirelessnetwork 105 to onboard device 111 to deactivate the geo-fence. Onboarddevice 111 deactivates the programmed geo-fence, allowing vehicle 109 tobe moved without triggering a boundary violation.

One skilled in the art will recognize that the above-described examplesof use cases are intended to be illustrative, rather than limiting, ofthe scope of the claimed invention. In addition, the use cases can becombined, so that activation by one mechanism can be followed bydeactivation by another mechanism. For example, the geo-fence can beestablished via the active cellular-based method, and subsequentlydeactivated by the passive device-based method.

The above description includes various specific details that areincluded for illustrative purposes only. One skilled in the art willrecognize the invention can be practiced according to many embodiments,including embodiments that lack some or all of these specific details.Accordingly, the presence of these specific details is in no wayintended to limit the scope of the claimed invention.

In the specification, certain components of the invention may bedescribed in terms of algorithms and/or steps performed by a softwareapplication. In many cases, such descriptions are intended to set forththe invention using representations that are commonly used among thoseof skill in the arts. Accordingly, any descriptions that refer toalgorithms, method steps, functional components, and the like, shall beconsidered to encompass electrical, magnetic, optical, and/or mechanicalsignals representing such algorithms, method steps, functionalcomponents, such signals being capable of being stored, transmitted,input, output, and/or otherwise manipulated. Reference to these signalsas variables, bits, symbols, values, and the like may appear herein andis not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention in any way.

All such terms, and any similar terms, are to be considered labels only,and are intended to encompass any appropriate physical quantities orother physical manifestations. Any particular naming or labeling of thevarious modules, protocols, features, and the like is intended to beillustrative; other names and labels can be used.

In addition, various terms such as “processing”, “calculating”,“determining”, “transmitting”, or the like, may be used herein. Suchterms are intended to refer to processes performed by a software and/orhardware device such as a computer system. Such terms refer to varioustypes of manipulation and/or transformation of physical and/orelectronic components such as registers and memories within the device.These physical and/or electronic components typically represent dataelements to be transformed, transmitted, and/or output.

Furthermore, the invention can be implemented as a method, system,computer program product, user interface, or any combination thereof.

The present invention also relates to a system for performing varioussteps and operations as described herein. This system may be aspecially-constructed device such as an electronic device, or it mayinclude one or more general-purpose computers that can follow softwareinstructions to perform the steps described herein. Multiple computerscan be networked to perform such functions. Software instructions may bestored in any computer readable storage medium, such as for example,magnetic or optical disks, cards, memory, and the like.

The method steps, user interface layouts, displays, and other componentsdescribed herein can be implemented on any computer, network, or otherapparatus capable of performing the functions described. No limitationas to operation on a particular type of system or apparatus is implied.No particular programming language is required; rather, any type ofprogramming language can be used to implement the present invention.

References to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” indicate that aparticular element or characteristic is included in at least oneembodiment of the invention. Although the phrase “in one embodiment” mayappear in various places, these do not necessarily refer to the sameembodiment.

One skilled in the art will recognize that the invention can bepracticed according to many embodiments other than those describedherein, without departing from the essential characteristics of thepresent invention. The particular descriptions set forth above areintended to be illustrative examples only, and are not intended to limitthe scope of the invention.

1. A method comprising: receiving a signal indicative of activation ofgeo-fence monitoring; determining location of a vehicle to create adetermined location; establishing a geo-fence boundary based on thedetermined location; activate monitoring of the vehicle within thegeo-fence boundary; and thereafter issuing an alert if unable to monitorvehicle location.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein issuing the alertfurther comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of: apossible geo-fence boundary violation; tampering with an onboard device;and disablement of an onboard device.
 3. The method of claim 1 furthercomprising, prior to issuing the alert: receiving a signal thatindicates operability of an onboard device coupled to the vehicle, thereceiving at an operations center and the signal received periodicallyover a first period of time; determining absence of receipt of thesignal in a second period of time following the first period of time. 4.The method of claim 3 wherein receiving the signal further comprisesperiodically receiving data indicative of position of the vehicle. 5.The method of claim 3: wherein establishing the geo-fence boundaryfurther comprises establishing the geo-fence boundary by the onboarddevice based on location of the vehicle; and wherein receiving furthercomprises receiving data indicative of location of the vehicle relativeto the geo-fence boundary.
 6. The method of claim 3: whereinestablishing the geo-fence boundary further comprises establishing thegeo-fence boundary at the operations center, the establishing based onthe determined location; and wherein receiving further comprisesreceiving data indicative of location of the vehicle.
 7. The method ofclaim 1 wherein establishing the geo-fence boundary further comprisesdetermining the determined location by receiving signals from at leastone GPS satellite.
 8. A system comprising: a processor; a memory coupledto the processor, the memory storing a program that, when executed bythe processor to: receive a signal indicative of activation of geo-fencemonitoring; determine location of a vehicle to create a determinedlocation; establish a geo-fence boundary based on the determinedlocation; activate monitoring of the vehicle within the geo-fenceboundary; and thereafter issue an alert if unable to monitor vehiclelocation.
 9. The system of claim 8 wherein when the processor issues,the program causes the processor to issue the alert based on at leastone selected from the group of: a possible geo-fence boundary violation;tampering with an onboard device; and disablement of an onboard device.10. The system of claim 8, wherein the program causes the processor to,prior to issuing the alert: receive a signal that indicates operabilityof an onboard device coupled to the vehicle, the receiving at anoperations center and the signal received periodically over a firstperiod of time; and determine absence of receipt of the signal in asecond period of time following the first period of time.
 11. The systemof claim 10 wherein when the processor receives, the program furthercauses the processor to periodically receive data indicative of positionof the vehicle.
 12. The system of claim 10: wherein when the programestablishes, the program further causes the processor to establish thegeo-fence boundary by the onboard device based on location of thevehicle; and wherein when the program receives, the program furthercauses the processor to receive data indicative of location of thevehicle relative to the geo-fence boundary.
 13. The system of claim 10:wherein when the program establishes, the processor further causes theprogram to establish the geo-fence boundary at the operations center,the establishing based on the determined location; and wherein when theprogram receives, the processor further causes the program to receivedata indicative of location of the vehicle.
 14. The system of claim 8wherein when the program establishes, the processor further causes theprogram to establish the geo-fence boundary based on determining thedetermined location by receiving signals from at least one GPSsatellite.
 15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storinginstructions that, when executed by a processor, causes the processorto: receive a signal indicative of activation of geo-fence monitoring;determine location of a vehicle to create a determined location;establish a geo-fence boundary based on the determined location;activate monitoring of the vehicle within the geo-fence boundary; andthereafter issue an alert if unable to monitor vehicle location;
 16. Thenon-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein when theprocessor issues, the instructions causes the processor to issue thealert based on at least one selected from the group of: a possiblegeo-fence boundary violation; tampering with an onboard device; anddisablement of an onboard device.
 17. The non-transitorycomputer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein the instructions cause theprocessor to, prior to issuing the alert: receive a signal thatindicates operability of an onboard device coupled to the vehicle, thereceiving at an operations center and the signal received periodicallyover a first period of time; determine absence of receipt of the signalin a second period of time following the first period of time.
 18. Thenon-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 wherein when theprocessor receives, the instructions further causes the processor toperiodically receive data indicative of position of the vehicle.
 19. Thenon-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17: wherein when theprocessor establishes, the instructions further causes the processor toestablish the geo-fence boundary by the onboard device based on locationof the vehicle; and wherein when the program receives, the programfurther causes the processor to receive data indicative of location ofthe vehicle relative to the geo-fence boundary.
 20. The non-transitorycomputer-readable medium of claim 17: wherein when the processorestablishes, the instructions further causes the processor to establishthe geo-fence boundary at the operations center, the establishing basedon the determined location; and wherein when the program receives, theprocessor further causes the program to receive data indicative oflocation of the vehicle.
 21. The non-transitory computer-readable mediumof claim 15 wherein when the processor establishes, the instructionsfurther causes the processor to establish the geo-fence boundary basedon determining the location by receiving signals from at least one GPSsatellite.